Fort Worth mayor, city council member not held in contempt for Dean verdict statements
FORT WORTH, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Telling the courtroom it was time to "move on," a judge in Fort Worth decided not to discipline the city's mayor and a city council member for violating an order during a high profile murder trial last month.
Judge George Gallagher could have fined Mayor Mattie Parker and council member Chris Nettles, or even ordered jail time if he had found them in contempt.
Both apologized though, Gallagher said Wednesday, and he was satisfied their actions were not intentional.
"I want, everything involving in this Aaron Dean case to be finished," Gallagher told people in the courtroom. "This was a tragic situation involving our community."
Parker and Nettles were both sworn witnesses in Dean's murder trial in December, under orders not to speak about the case while it was in progress. After the jury issued a manslaughter verdict though, Parker released a statement from the city. Nettles did several interviews with reporters, and called the verdict a slap on the wrist.
Gallagher said Nettles acknowledged that his statement could have a chilling effect on people being willing to serve on juries in the future.
"I assured him that it was just my intention to be the voice for our community, and that's all," Nettles said afterward. "And so, it will never happen again."
Nettles had supporters in the courtroom, including Jacquelyn Craig, who was involved in another high-profile case with the city in 2016. Video of her arrest went viral, after she had called police to help protect her young son from a neighbor. The city agreed to settle a lawsuit with her last year for $150,000. Craig said she appreciated Nettles being willing to speak out for the community, and she wanted to be there to support him when he needed it.
Parker did not appear Wednesday. Gallagher said her council had called saying she had a schedule conflict, and she instead came to the courthouse and spoke with him Tuesday. Representatives for the mayor and council, and the city, were not able to answer what the conflict was.
She released a statement Wednesday the se felt responsibility as Mayor to say something after the verdict and appreciated that they had found a resolution on the issue.
One of Dean's defense attorneys, Bob Gill, was in and around the courtroom at the time of Wednesday's hearing. Attorneys have filed a notice of appeal on his manslaughter convictions. One of their arguments even toward the end of his trial was public statements from influential people could have influenced the jury pool, and the trial should have been moved out of Fort Worth.
While talking about the tragedy, Gallagher also mentioned the illness of Amber Carr, the sister of Atatiana Jefferson. Carr was present during the beginning of the trial, coughing regularly in court, but had to be hospitalized later. A family attorney confirmed she was scheduled to be moved to a hospice as soon as Wednesday, due to deteriorating health related to a heart condition.